The life of Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi on and off the ice
Fox News
Kristi Yamaguchi is a former Olympic figure skater. During the 1992 Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal. Since then, she has continued to compete in other ways, like on "Dancing with the Stars."
Kristi Yamaguchi is a former U.S. Olympic figure skater. During the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, she took home the gold. (HJS-Pressefoto/ullstein bild via Getty Images) During the 1992 Olympic Games, Kristi Yamaguchi was roommates with teammate Nancy Kerrigan, right. Tonya Harding, left, was also on the Olympic team. Yamaguchi did not compete in the 1994 games, but her two teammates did. During those games, Kerrigan was injured by an attacker sent by Harding's ex-husband. (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) After winning a gold medal in 1992, Kristi Yamaguchi left her Olympic days behind her. She still did skate in professional tournaments following her Olympic retirement and also performed in a variety of shows. (David Madison/Getty Images) In 2008, Kristi Yamaguchi traded her skates for heels as a celebrity on "Dancing with the Stars." She and her partner, Mark Ballas, went on to win the competition. (Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) Kristi Yamaguchi has penned multiple books over the years, including her best-selling children's book "Dream Big, Little Pig!" (David Livingston/Getty Images) Although Kristi Yamaguchi has hung up her skates professionally, she can still be found making public appearances. (Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) Today, the former professional figure skater is a mom of two daughters, Keara Kiyomi Hedican and Emma Yoshiko Hedican, and wife to Bret Hedican. She serves as the board chair of Always Dream, an organization focused on early literacy. (Olivia Wong/FilmMagic) Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.
Before focusing on singles, Yamaguchi also competed in pairs with partner Rudy Galindo. In 1991, she was rewarded her first world championship title as a solo skater.